in the morning.
Around four in the morning, she’d been woken from a sound sleep by the shrill sound of the telephone ringing. Thinking it was Wade, she answered with a sleepy-sounding hello.
“Mrs. Campbell?” a stern, businesslike voice asked.
She remembered sitting up, switching the bedside light on. “Yes, this is she.”
From there, she always drew a blank. Her memory had completely blocked out the events of that early-morning tragedy. He’d been in a fatal motorcycle accident. All she needed to remember was that Wade was dead.
Her life would never be the same. The darkness overwhelmed her.
Chapter 2
“This is unbelievable,” Anna said to the cabin steward.
“Yes, ma’am. This is the largest cabin on the ship,” he said. “Your suite is the best we have to offer. No other compares.”
She nodded. “It’s more than I expected.” It was like a luxurious apartment. There were two bedrooms, two and a half baths, and two private balconies.
“You’ll have the entire fourteen hundred square feet of space all to yourself,” the steward continued. “Unless . . . well, this is a singles cruise, ma’am.” He added the last sentence with a wink.
“Call me Anna.” She knew from the brochure she’d read on the plane that she was assigned a personal steward /butler. She didn’t want to be called “ma’am” for seven days. Might as well get that out of the way.
“My pleasure. And you may call me George,” he said in a lovely Jamaican accent.
Extending her hand, she said, “We could be besties at the end of this cruise.”
He laughed and shook her hand. “Besties?”
George appeared to be in his mid- to late-twenties. Tall and broad-shouldered, he was a good-looking guy. With his coffee-colored eyes, dark, closely clipped hair, and warm brown skin, he probably had women falling at his feet. “It’s what my daughter calls her best friend, Tiffany. Besties.”
“Of course. Then we will be ‘besties,’ Anna,” he said, his smile friendly and a bit flirty in a teasing sort of way.
Some women might’ve been offended. She wasn’t at all. Having the ability to read people, she suspected George was just as friendly to everyone he met.
Spying a silver bucket on the kitchen counter, she removed a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne. “Nice,” she said.
“Allow me,” George said, taking the chilled bottle of champagne from her.
“Thank you,” she said, heading out to the balcony. Excited to have such a luxurious space all to herself, she settled onto a lounge chair. The summer air was thick with humidity, but there was just enough breeze from the Gulf for it to be tolerable. Glad she’d packed shorts and several sleeveless sundresses, she decided then and there she was going to do just as Mandy suggested. Rest, relax, and allow herself to be waited on. According to the brochure, that was the main point of cruising on the Splendor of the Sea.
George stepped onto the balcony, a glass of the Veuve Clicquot on a tray. “I’ll leave the bottle to chill,” he said. “If you need anything, Anna, please push the button labeled STEWARD. I’m available around the clock.”
They really did wait on one hand and foot, she thought. “Thank you, George. I’m going to enjoy this”—she held up the crystal flute of champagne—“then I plan to unpack and get settled in.”
George held up his free hand. “No, no you may not! I will unpack for you now.”
“That’s okay. I can do it myself.”
“Anna, this is what I’m here for. Please allow me to do my job,” he insisted.
She wasn’t comfortable with him handling her lingerie and personal items. “I insist. I’m a bit OCD and have my own system, so please, let me take care of that later. I’ll have another glass,” she added, holding the flute out to him. If she continued to drink this fast, she’d be totally inebriated by dinner; she already felt a bit light-headed from just one glass. Not much of a drinker since she’d had Christina, she reminded herself to take it easy. She didn’t want George to think she was heavy-handed with the booze. He whirled away and, within seconds, was back with a fresh flute of the bubbly.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’m going to enjoy this.” Once again, she held her flute up high as if she were proposing a toast. “And maybe a nap.”
“As you wish,” he said, standing in the doorway. “I’m only a button away if there is anything you need.”
She nodded. “Thanks.” This would go on forever if she didn’t send him on his merry way. Feigning a yawn, she said, “That nap is calling.”
Finally she had the place to herself and decided to explore her temporary home for the next seven days and six nights. The master suite was much larger than she’d anticipated. A king-size bed with a magnificent view looking out over the Gulf of Mexico would, she hoped, lull her to sleep at night. In addition to the bed and the view, there was a luxurious whirlpool tub on one balcony, and a flat-screen TV. Guerlain bath products and plush robes and slippers ensured a spalike experience. When Mandy said the accommodations were top-of-the-line, she wasn’t kidding. Double sinks steeped in marble, a telephone, and a second flat-screen TV were just a few of the luxuries the ship provided. Tonight, she would take a bath, a much-loved pleasure, which she did most nights if her schedule allowed. Most of her free time was devoted to her daughter.
She wandered into the kitchen area and saw an espresso coffeemaker, her favorite brand of coffee, Kaya Kopi—no doubt Mandy’s doing—plus a large assortment of the Norman Love chocolates she adored. From what she could see, Mandy had all the bases covered. Speaking of which, she was supposed to call Mandy when she had settled in.
Thankful for the satellite phone, she dialed Mandy’s cell. Mandy must have been waiting for her because she answered on the first ring.
“I take it you like your room?” Mandy didn’t bother with “hello.”
“More than like,” Anna said. “It’s the size of an apartment. I don’t even want to ask how much it cost because it might ruin the trip.”
“Right. You could rent the entire ship and not worry about pricing,” Mandy teased.
She could, it was true, but she did not go around advertising her wealth. She’d always thought that doing so was a little on the tacky side. “This is perfect. I’m glad you decided I needed time away. I didn’t realize I needed this until I saw the tub overlooking the Gulf.”
“Pretty ritzy then?” Mandy asked.
“Let’s just put it this way. If this were an apartment in New York City, it would sell for millions.”
“I am always happy to help out,” Mandy informed her. “Let me tear Christina away from Mr. Waffles. Hang on.”
Anna smiled. Mr. Waffles had been a fantastic birthday present.
